Andrew Ellis pallid swifts

After, in the last publication of andorin, we told you about pallid swifts that visited the United Kingdom, this time we are going to tell you about an Englishman that visited us last October during the Sagres Birdwatching Festival and “brought” us swifts.

Andrew Ellis is a super talented illustrator who dedicates most of his time to drawing birds, especially birds of prey. We take the opportunity to invite you to visit his personal page at https://andrewellispaintings.com/!

During the festival, the andorin team had the opportunity to speak with Andrew who, moved by the work we are doing, presented us with a drawing of one of our favorite birds: a flock of white swifts flying over the peninsula of Sagres heading to Africa!

Thanks Andrew!

South, is it that way?

Pallid Swifts roam between the Mediterranean basin and central Africa through their seasonal migratory movements. Seeing them outside this route is a coincidence, however, almost every year just after the breeding season, there are some records of these birds along the west coast of Europe to the North Sea.

This year, perhaps the result of winds from Africa that built up in October and November, this influx was particularly noticeable and pale swifts were seen in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the French coast of Normandy and even in Sweden.

In Great Britain, the Pallid Swift is a rare species, first recorded in 1978. In October and November of this year, an unprecedented number of these birds were sighted, with dozens of records of Pallid Swifts being reported every year. all over the island, mainly along the coast. In 2018, a similar meteorological phenomenon had also caused a wave of Pallid Swifts, with at least 21 observations. That record was largely surpassed this year, with over 70 observations recorded.

Birdwatchers in the Netherlands were also treated to this influx, with around 15 observations during this year. Pallid Swifts were also recorded in Ireland, Belgium, Germany, France and Sweden during this period and certainly many more passed unseen.

Could it be that any of the Pallid Swifts marked by the andorin with GPS logger in the colonies of Arrábida or Vila Nova de Famalicão was part of this influx and went to visit these countries?

We won't know until next year! Stay tuned!

The Feather Speech

Hannah Bourne-Taylor, an English writer and conservationist, created a petition that seeks that all buildings that will be built in the United Kingdom, have (if conditions exist for this) nests for swifts incorporated.

The petition was delivered, as per British law, to the mailbox at number 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's official residence, and will be active for 6 months with the goal of reaching 100,000 signatures before it can be debated in parliament.

This petition has the support of the RSPB - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, most environmental NGOs and some British artists and politicians. And of course, of all the groups and projects of our friends that intend to conserve swallows and swifts!

For the event to have repercussions, Hannah appeared almost naked, with body paint with feathers drawn on her body, gave a speech - The Feather Speech - at Speaker’s Corner and then walked to Downing Street. The Speaker’s Corner is a corner of Hyde Park, in central London, where anyone who wants to can climb into a wooden box and give a speech, a tradition that has been maintained since the 19th century. XIX. During the speech and the walk that followed, she was joined by supporters who held signs with the campaign motto #EveryBirdCounts .

Here in Portugal we also have to start creating conditions for the birds that live in an urban environment if we want to continue to enjoy the benefits that this coexistence brings us!!

Every Bird Counts! Good luck Hannah!